Arthur Ward

Arthur "Bobbie" Ward was born in Romsey, Hampshire, England on 20 November 1887, later being baptised on 10 February the following year,

He was the youngest son of Alfred Ward (b. 1843) and Emily Fielder (b. 1847). His mother was also born in Romsey but his father was a native of Headington, Oxfordshire and worked as a railway carrier and carman. The couple had married in Romsey in late 1867 and went on to produce fifteen children, seven of whom died in infancy. Arthur's known siblings were: Sarah (b. 1869), Caroline (b. 1870), Rose (b. 1874), Emily (b. 1875), Amy (b. 1878), Annie (b. 1879), Richard (b. 1880), Minnie (b. 1881), Stephen (b. 1882), Jessie (b. 1884) and Alfred (b. 1886).

Arthur first appears on the 1891 census when he and his family were living in Palmerston Street in Romsey. Still living at Palmerston Street by the time of the 1901 census, Arthur was described as a 13-year-old schoolboy and visiting at the address was an American, Mr Percival Brennan, who worked as a marine engineer and who perhaps inspired Arthur to follow in the same line of work.

Arthur served his apprenticeship with Mitchell Bros. of Romsey, and J. I. Thornycroft & Co. of Southampton. In 1907 he went to sea in the Siamese gunboat Suira Monthon, built by Thornycrofts. He joined the White Star in 1908 and served on a number of ships including the Olympic.

Arthur and his family are recorded on the 1911 census living at 21 Palmerston Street, Romsey and Arthur is now described as a marine engineer and unmarried.

When he signed on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, Arthur gave his address as Manor House, (Palmerston Street), Romsey. His previous ship had been the Olympic and as a junior engineer he could expect to earn monthly wages of £10.

Arthur was lost in the sinking. His body, if recovered, was never identified. His estate, valued at £193, 12s, 1d, was administered to his father on 6 June 1912. The following death notice appeared in the Hampshire Chronicle (27 April 1912):

WARD--April 15th, on s.s. Titanic, Arthur "Bobbie" Ward, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. A Ward, of Manor House, Romsey, aged 24.

His parents continued to live in Romsey; his father passed away in 1921 and his mother in 1935.